Timepiece alarm mechanism



July 19, 1966 P. M. TUREL 3,261,157

TIMEPIECE ALARM MECHANISM Filed Oct. 20, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 19,1966 P- M. TUREL TIMEPIEGE ALARM MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct.20, 1964 3 G v F.

FIGA

United States Patent 3,261,157 TIMEPIECE ALARM MECHANISM Paul MauriceTurel, Tavannes, Switzerland, assignor to Tavannes Watch Co. S.A.,Tavannes, Switzerland, :1 firm Filed Oct. 20, 1964, Ser. No. 405,081Claims priority, application Switzerland, Oct. 28, 1963, 13,214/63 3Claims. (Cl. 58--21.15)

Alarm clocks of a conventional type include alarm mechanisms adapted torepeat the alarm signal every morning, provided the user has previouslyrewound the driving spring and has released the alarm mechanism.

In certain improved structures, the winding of the spring releases thebell so as to cut out one of the daily operations required for thesetting of the alarm.

Various other devices are known, wherein a single winding of the springmaintains the alarm mechanism seven days in sequence. These ofteninclude a cam limiting to about 10 seconds each ringing of the alarm andreplacing thereafter the parts in a position such that they may operateagain after the next release. A device of this type has the drawbackthat it does not simultaneously return into its release position theknob through which the ringing of the alarm can be stopped by hand andconsequently it is not possible to repeat the alarm if it has beenpreviously interrupted through manual action on said knob.

The present invention has for its object an alarm time-piece of the typeincluding a knob through which it is possible to manually interrupt theringing of the alarm while a mechanism provided with an alarm leveradapted to be shifted transversely with reference to the plane of themovement under the action of the alarm wheel and of the hour wheellimits to a predetermined angle the rotation of the alarm barrel.According to the invention, the knob provided for cutting off theringing of the alarm produces the rotation of a yoke rocking in a planeparallel with that of the movement so as to engage the alarm lever whichstops the hammer and holds said yoke fast until the hour wheel raises inits turn said alarm lever whereupon a spring returns the rocking yokeand the handoperable knob (stopping the movement of the alarm) intotheir initial positions.

The accompanying drawings illustrate by way of example an embodiment ofthe invention.

FIGS. 1 and 2 are respectively a plan view and a sectional view throughline IIII of FIG. 1 of the arrangement in its inoperative position,while FIGS. 3 and 4 are corresponding views showing it when operative.

In this eight day alarm, a mechanism limits to a predetermined number ofrevolutions the rotary movement of the alarm barrel as provided by thestop wheel 9 acting on the alarm lever 13 which holds the alarm hammer20 fast. A hand-operable knob 29 allows stopping the ringing of thealarm. The axial shifting of the hour wheel 5 produces each time thealarm has rung and each time said ringing has been cut off by hand, ashifting of the alarm lever 13 which allows the different parts toreturn to their starting positions under the action of the returnsprings 12 and 33.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the alarm mechanism includes a spindle1 of which the end extending-through the bottom of the time-piece isprovided with a time setting knob 2. On said spindle rigid with thealarm wheel 3, the web of which is provided with two notches 4, areloosely fitted the hour wheel 5 carrying two projections 6. Thealarm-controlling wheel 7 is provided with an arcuate opening 8 andforms a sector of an annulus coaxial with the spindle 1 and a stop wheel9 carrying on ice its lower surface a cylindrical pin 10 and on itsupper surface a conical stud 11. The spring 12 extends across the pathof the pin 10.

The alarm-releasing lever 13 terminating with the tail-piece 19 ispivotally secured to a screw 14 provided with a bearing surface engaginga pillar 15 of the timepiece movement, said lever engaging the uppersurface of the hour wheel 5 under the action of a blade spring 16 fittedunder the bridge 17 of said movement. An angle bar 18 rivetted to thelever 13 includes a horizontal section located above the path of aconical stud 11. The alarm hammer 20 is adapted to rock in the plane ofthe movement and carries on one surface a spring 21 secured by a screw22 while its outer end 23 is folded at right angles. A yoke 25 pivotinground the pillar 15 carries on its upper surface a conical stud 26 andalso a cylindrical pin 27 engaged by the shank 28 forming a coaxialextension of the pusher knob 29 which cuts off the ringing of the alarm;A wheel 30 meshes, on the one hand, with the alarm wheel 7 and, on theother hand, with a gear connecting it with the barrel and with theescapement of the alarm system which is not illustrated.

FIG. 1 illustrates the mechanism in the position assumed by it after theautomatic interruption of the ringing of the alarm, said mechanism beingthus ready to produce the next signal. The hour Wheel 5 is spaced withreference to the alarm wheel 3 under the action of the pro ections 6carried by said wheel 5. The lever 13 which engages permanently the hourwheel 5 is thus in a raised position for which its tail piece 19 holdsthe hammer fast I through the depending section 23 of the spring 21. Thespring 12 holds the pin 10 on the stop wheel in contact wlth one end 31of the opening 8 in the alarm power wheel 7.

By reason of the rotation of the hour wheel 5, the projections 6 drop atthe desired moment of the alarm into the notches 4 of the alarm wheel 3.The lever 13 urged by its spring 16 follows the downward movement of thehour wheel and carries along with it the angle bar 18 r gidly secured toits upper surface. The horizontal sec tion of said angle bar is thenflush with the stop wheel 9, while the tail piece 19 of the lever 13moves out of the path of the spring 21 with depending section 23 actingon the hammer 20. The latter thus released is now subjected to theaction of the barrel spring, starts rocking and pro duces the alarmsignal. The rotation of the alarm mechanism drives through the wheel 30the alarm wheel 7. The end 32 of the opening 8 in wheel 7 which isopposed to the end 31 reaches the pin 10 and. now the stop wheel 9 iscarried along until the conical stud 11 thereon meets the horizontalsection of the angle bar 18 and raises said angle bar together with thelever 13 with which it is rigid. The tail piece 19 of said lever 13 isthus returned into the path of the spring 21 with depending section 23cooperating with the hammer 20 so as to hold the latter fast.

The ringing of the alarm is consequently stopped at that moment, itsduration being limited to the angle of unwinding of the barrel leadingto the shifting of the stud 11 from the position occupied in FIG. 1 tothat occupied in FIG. 3, so as to lift the angle bar 18. A few hoursafter said automatic interruption, the hour wheel is raised again abovethe alarm wheel 3 and reengages the lever 13 which is urged against itby the spring 16 so as to raise the angle bar 18 from conical stud 11.The stop wheel 9 is consequently released and, by reason of the actionof the spring 12 on the pin 10, said wheel 9 is caused to rolate and toreturn into the position illustrated in FIG. 1.

In order to interrupt the ringing of the alarm, the user may exert apressure on the knob 29 which, through the agency of the shank 28 and ofthe pin 27, rocks the yoke 25 round the pillar 15. The conical stud 26on the yoke I engages therefore the lower surface of the lever 13 andraises it. The tail piece 19 of said lever 13 is thus inserted in thepath of the spring 23 acting on the hammer and interrupts the ringing ofthe alarm. The yoke is held fast in the position assumed by it by reasonof the pressure exerted by the spring 16 on said conical stud 26. When,after a few hours of operation, the hour wheel moves again away from thealarm wheel, the lever 13 is raised further and the yoke 25 is released.Under the action of its spring 33, the yoke returns into its startingposition (FIG. 1) while urging the stop-controlling knob 29 back intoits inoperative position.

The alarm time piece thus executed with a provision of movement forseven days ensures a reliable operation for the user since the mechanismprepares, after each manual or automatic stopping of the ringing of thealarm, the next alarm period and cuts out the necessity of any manualoperation on the stop-controlling knob.

What I claim is:

1. In an alarm time-piece including a movement, an alarm mechanism, analarm lever operatively connected with the alarm mechanism to normallylock the latter and adapted to be shifted positively by the movementtransversely of the movement at a predetermined adjustable moment totransiently release the alarm mechanism, the combination of a manuallyoperable stop-controlling knob, a yoke adapted to pivot in a planeparallel to the movement, between a position slightly to one side of andunderneath the alarm lever and a position registering vertically withthe latter to be urged by said knob when depressed into itslast-mentioned position to engage the alarm lever when in itsalarm-releasing position and raise the latter into its alarm-lockingposition and hold it therein, a spring urging the alarm lever into itsalarm-locking position for engagement with the yoke in itslast-mentioned position, the next release of the alarm lever by themovement disengaging the yoke with reference to the latter, and elasticmeans urging the yoke when disengaged from the alarm lever back into itsstarting position to thereby also return the knob into its startingposition.

2. In combination in an alarm time piece having a movement with an hourwheel; an alarm mechanism; an alarm lever operatively connected withsaid alarm mechanism to normally lock the latter and adapted to beshifted transversely of said movement by the axial displacement of saidmovement at a predetermined adjustable moment to transiently releasesaid alarm mechanism;

(A) a manually operable-stop controlling knob slidably mounted in saidtime piece and able to assume depressed and pulled-out positions inrespect thereto;

(B) a yoke pivotably mounted on said movement in contact with said knoband adapted to pivot in a plane parallel to said movement and to engagesaid alarm lever upon depressing said knob to set said alarm lever backinto alarm-locking position until its next release by said movement;said release disengaging said alarm-lever from said yoke, and

(C) spring means in contact with said yoke for urging said yoke whendisengaged from said alarm lever, against said knob and thereby pushingsaid knob back to its pulled-out position.

3. The combination of claim 2, wherein said yoke has a stud on its uppersurface and a cylindrical pin, said stud being adapted to engage saidalarm lever to raise the same and said pin being adapted to engage saidknob.

References Cited by the Examiner FOREIGN PATENTS 9/1957 Great Britain.11/ 1959 Switzerland.

1. IN AN ALARM TIME-PIECE INCLUDING A MOVEMENT, AN ALARM MECHANISM, ANALARM LEVER OPERATIVELY CONNECTED WITH THE ALARM MECHANISM TO NORMALLYLOCK THE LATTER AND ADAPTED TO BE SHIFTED POSITIVELY BY THE MOVEMENTTRANSVERSELY OF THE MOVEMENT AT A PREDETERMINED ADJUSTABLE MOMENT TOTRANSIENTLY RELEASE THE ALARM MECHANISM, THE COMBINATION OF A MANUALLYOPERABLE STOP-CONTROLLING KNOB, A YOKE ADAPTED TO PIVOT SLIGHTLY TO ONESIDE OF AND UNDERMENT, BETWEEN A POSITION SLIGHTLY TO ONE SIDE OF ANDUNDERNEATH THE ALARM LEVER AND A POSITION REGISTERING VERTICALLY WITHTHE LATTER TO BE URGED BY SAID KNOB WHEN DEPRESSED INTO ITSLAST-MENTIONED POSITION TO ENGAGE THE ALARM LEVER WHEN IN ITSALARM-RELEASING POSITION AND RAISE THE LATTER INTO ITS ALARM-LOCKINGPOSITION AND HOLD IT THEREIN, A SPRING URGING THE ALARM LEVER INTO ITSALARM-LOCKING POSITION FOR ENGFAGEMENT WITH THE YOKE IN ITS LASTMENTIONED POSITION, THE NEXT RELEASE OF THE ALARM LEVER BY THE MOVEMENTDISENGAGING THE YOKE WITH REFERENCE TO THE LATTER, AND ELASTIC MEANSURGING THE YOKE WHEN DISENGAGED FROM THE ALARM LEVER BACK INTO ITSSTARTING POSITION TO THEREBY ALSO RETURN THE KNOB INTO ITS STARTINGPOSITION.